Ireland Really Is That Green

I can't exactly tell you when it started, but I have always wanted to see Ireland. I don't know what I saw or imagined as a child or at what age I must have seen it, but it has been a lifelong dream of mine to visit that green island. I also don't know when or why my brother caught the same dream. But, more than all that, I did not imagine I would only be 23-years-old when I got to realize that dream!

I was not disappointed. And, one of the best parts was that my brother flew from Austin to meet me in our dream vacation land.

We spent some days in Dublin seeing the sights, buying 80-year-old books from Trinity College, touring the Guinness Storehouse and Jameson Distillery, drinking whiskey in Irish pubs, and walking along the River Liffy. The rhythm of life in Dublin is unlike anywhere I have ever been. The people have an attitude that is an entirely unique mixture of fun and friendly, easily laid back, excitingly passionate, and seriously hard working.

We also crossed the country via a 2.5-hour bus ride to spend the next five days in Galway on the West coast of Ireland. There, we saw some of the countryside and experienced a bit of Ireland's natural beauty. I could have happily spent a week on that coast alone. We saw rocky coastlines, sheer sea cliffs, bright green hills, lush lakesides, sheep-covered mountains, miles of land covered with flat, cracked limestone, and stunning castles.

It was during our time in Galway that we took a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher. Or, as those of us familiar with the Princess Bride may prefer, the Cliffs of Insanity. We were pretty convinced the latter was the more fitting title. Sometimes, I feel as though seeing pictures of a place is just as good as seeing the place in person. Not so at all with the Cliffs. There is something spectacular about seeing their incomprehensible hight, hearing the waves crash so far below, smelling the saltiness of the sea, and feeling the fresh coolness of the ocean breeze for yourself. The Cliffs are an experience that cannot be captured in any photo.

I know I will treasure the memories of my week in Ireland for the rest of my life, but I also hope that I will be able to go back. I could have spent months in Ireland happy to fill every day with some new breathtaking display of nature's beauty.